Amsterdam red light law

This item appears on page 4 of the April 2018 issue.

As of April 1, anyone taking a guided tour of Amsterdam’s Red Light District is banned from staring at the women behind the brothel windows who are advertising their services. Amsterdam officials hope that the law will cut foot traffic in the area, which has become crowded with tourists.

Tourists, themselves, will not face punishment for staring, but the tour guide and company will be fined if any of their group members are caught flouting the law.

Prostitution is legal in Amsterdam in licensed brothels as long as the workers are there by choice. However, investigations have discovered that illegal sex trafficking is still common in the city.